WASHINGTON, March 13, 2007--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending its fruit and vegetable regulations to allow, under certain conditions, the importation of mangoes from India into the continental United States.

To ensure that plant pests do not enter the United States through the importation of this commodity, the mangoes must be treated with specified doses of irradiation at an APHIS-certified facility. Each shipment must also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of India with additional declarations that certify treatment and inspection of the mangoes, and identify the orchards in which they were grown. In addition, the fruit will be subject to inspection at the port of first arrival.

Agriculture officials in India requested that APHIS consider this action and after a thorough analysis, APHIS determined that mangoes can be imported under the above conditions without resulting in the introduction or dissemination in the United States of quarantine pests, such as the melon fruit fly, a significant pest of melon crops. All necessary risk and environmental assessments have been completed and analyzed.

Notice of this final rule appeared in the March 12 Federal Register and was effective upon publication.

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